Parashat Toldot – The Two Snakes and Messiah

“There were two boys in her womb. The first to come out was completely red, and clothed in hair; so he was called Esav. After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esav’s heel; so he was named Yakov” (Gn 25:24-26).

Esav is clothed in Hair (heb. Sa’ir – שער); which means that his splendour is that of a demon; as it’s written: “they must no longer offer sacrifices to the Se’irim (ie. Fauns or Demons)”(Lv 17:7).

How can a Se’ir; ie. a vile being be the splendour (Aderet –אדרת ) of Esav?

This is a hidden secret, for Rivka had in her womb two sons, one from the right side and one from the left. Esav comes from the side of Samael; Esav personifies the Snake of Samael (through which he lied to Eve and caused humanity to die).

The Torah says that “Adam knew his wife and she conceived and bore” two sons, Kain and Hevel (Gn 4). Hevel came from the side of holiness and was killed by Kain. Kain came from the side of the Snake, because it is not told that “Adam begot a son in his likeness according to his image” until Seth was born (Gn 5:3), and Seth was called like that in replacement of Hevel. This implies that Kain was not in the likeness of Adam; ie. In human likeness; but in the likeness of the Snake, as our sages taught.

Just like humanity fell because of a Snake, it must be restored by another Snake. Measure for Measure.

Yakov dealt with Esav cunningly, just as the serpent was cunning (Gn3:1). Yakov, by being smart like the serpent, stole Esav’s authority,although he suffered the consequences. This is alluded to in the verse: “He will bruise your head – ראש(ie.Authority) and you will bruise his heel – עקב (ie. Yakov – יעקב )”(Gn 3:15).

This means that Yakov is also another Snake. Esav is the Snake of Samael. Yakov is a Holy Snake.

Yakov was loved by his mother because he comes from the seed of the woman; as it is stated in the verse: “I will put enmity… between your seed [Snake] and her seed [the woman]… and you will bruise their heel [Yakov]” (Gn3:15).

The two forces are meant to stand against each other, for it’s written:

“And God created the Taninim” [two great serpents] (Gn 1:21); which refers to Yakov and Esav, and “every living creature that moves”; which refers to the levels between them.

It is written: “In the womb he took his brother by the heel” (Hos12:4 [3]), which means that he lowered him down by the heel, from the place of spiritual authority he was supposed to be.

Esav and Amalek

From the side of Esav comes Amalek, the destructor of Israel as it’s written: “Amalek is fighting Israel” (Ex 17:8). Of Amalek it says: “HaShem has war with Amalek from generation to generation” (Ex 17:6). Amalek is the Archenemy of God’s children.

Amalek comes from Esav, who comes from the seed of the Snake.

Yakov is Esav’s twin. He’s also a Snake. A Snake in Holiness. He also cheated, but in holiness, in order to defeat the Snake, to break down its authority. Yakov is the cure of the Snake’s poison. This is the reason they fight since the womb.

In Gematria, Yakov equals “Angel of God” as in the verse: “he looked like an angel of God” (Jdg 13:6).

יעקב = מלאך האלהים = 182

The Snake planted doubt in Eve’s mind. So does Amalek appear in the Torah, at the moment Israel says: “Is HaShem with us or not?” (Ex 17:7-8).

The war between the two Snakes is that of Faith vs Doubt in God. “When Moshe holds down his hands Amalek prevails” (Ex 17:11).

Between the Snake and Amalek is Esav. In Gematria, Esav equals “the left side” (haSemol), as in the verse: “if you take the Right, then I will go to the Left” (Gn 13:9).

עשו = השמאל = 376

Interestingly, the word for “Left”; “Semol”, is written with a Shin – ש ,but it’s pronounced with the sound of a samekh – ס ; if it would be written down in Hebrew, it’d create the Word: ‘Samael’ – סמאל, which is Satan’s name, the angel who rode the Snake.

Esav is Amalek who is the Serpent, who is the Angel of Death.

Yakov and Messiah

Yakov is the twin of Esav in the opposite side. An exact force but inthe opposite direction. Yakov is the New Tree of Life. Yakov is the Redemptive force. From Yakov the Messiah comes to the World. Messiah is the Holy Snake.

As our sages taught: “Messiah is the archenemy of Satan” (PesiktaRabbah 3:6 [161b]).

Satan’s power is the Inclination to Evil, and his job is to tempt the believer. The Power of Messiah is proportionally the opposite. Messiah is the Power of Prayer (Likutei Moharan p. 5b), and his job is to redeem the believer, as we read: “and a Redeemer will come to Zion” (Is 59:20).

In Gematria ‘Messiah’ (Mashiakh) equals Snake (Nakhash).

משיח = נחש = 358

As the Torah teaches, God’s judgments are measure for measure (eye foran eye). This means that the Snake of Samael and his job must be defeated by the Holy Snake of Yakov, who is Messiah.

When the staff of Aaron became a Snake and fought Pharaoh’s serpents, the Holy Snake swallowed up the others (Ex 7:10-12). The word “swallow”alludes to the verse “Death is swallowed up into victory” (Is 25:8) (cf.Shemot Rabbah 30:3).

This is indeed a great secret hidden in the Torah. The secret ofMessiah. When the people were attacked by snakes, God commanded Moses to fight the snakes with another Snake. He was told to raise a bronze Serpent (Nm21:9). As we have said, the power of Amalek’s serpent was to induce doubt in the people. The purpose of the bronze Snake was to induce faith. “When they looked into the bronze serpent, they lived”.

The word: “Bronze serpent” (Nakhash Nekhoshet) in Gematria equals: “Royal Crown” (Keter Malkhut); alluding to the King of Israel; the Messiah.

ינין שמו = 1116

עשו יעקב יעקב עשו = 1116

“And Moses made a serpent of bronze and put it on a pole”. The word for“Pole” is “Nes” נס ; which means: a ‘sign’. It can also be understood as the acronym for:“Nakhash Samael” (the Snake of Samael). Reading it backwards (from the side of judgment) it can also stand for: “Sam Nakhash”; ie. The Poison of the Snake. סם נחש

Snake vs Snake

These are the secrets hidden here,

That two great serpents are in constant war (Amalek vs Israel / Esav vs Yakov / Satan vs Messiah)

That a snake must be swallowed by another snake (the staff of Aaron vs the staffs of Pharaoh).

That the authority of a snake (Esav/Amalek) must be defeated with another snake (Yakov / Israel).

That the poison of a Snake (sin and doubt) must be healed by the antidote of another Snake (Faith and Forgiveness).

That the counterpart of the ‘Snake’ is ‘Messiah’ [(both being equal to 358 in Gematria)].

From Yakov came the twelve tribes of Israel. To Dan it is said: ‘Dan will be a snake in the way’ (Gn 47:19). Of Judah it is said: ‘the sceptre will not depart from Judah until Shiloh come’ (Gn 49:10). In the secret of these words we find that Messiah comes from Yakov through Judah. But it is also said that Dan will be Messiah (= a snake). No contradiction here, for Dan and Judah are Unified to be One. Also Yisai, the father of Abigal, who is the sister of the King David is known as “Nakhash” (the Snake) (2S 17:25)(cf. Shab 55b). Coincidence? Not so, for it’s written:

“A shoot will come up from the stock of Yisai… and he will delight inthe fear of the Lord… and with the breath of his lips he will slay the Wicked” (Is 11:1-4).

And who is the Wicked one? Our sages say that the sin of the king Saul was to have mercy on the Wicked one (cf.Yoma 22b); contextually,when they said “the Wicked one”, they meant Amalek. So the Wicked one is Amalek, or better said, what he represents. Spiritually, the Wicked one is Samael (cf. Bahir 200). In fact, all the wicked generations of the World descend from the spiritual side of Kain; who is the seed of the Snake (cf. Zohar III:76b).

Messiah slays the Snake, who is Satan and the Angel of Death, and swallows up Death into Victory; and this Life is given through Faith. What a Glorious Secret was hidden in the study for this week’s Parasha.